Electron tube component dispensing apparatus



Nov. 7, 1961 I J. J. LUKAWICH 3,007,604

ELECTRON TUBE COMPONENT DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 16, l957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 11/ 14/ My INVENTOR.

JuszPx-z J. Lumvmcu VZZMQ b4 Nov. 7, 1961 J. J. LUKAWICH 3,007,604

' ELECTRON TUBE COMPONENT DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 16, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet, 2

mmvroa Juszm J. Luxmcu Nov. 7, 1961 i J. J. LUKAWICH 3,007,604

ELECTRON wuss COMPONENT DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 16, 1957 :5 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR. LluszPz-l Ll. LUKAWXCH Ira/n United States Patent This invention relates to apparatus for automatically dispensing electron tube components and particularly to apparatus for dispensing relatively fragile electron tube electrodes such as tubular sheet metal anodes.

Conventional gravity release devices are usually used in dispensing relatively light and fragile electron tube components one at a time from a vertical stack. However, such devices have not proven entirely satisfactory since adjacent components in the stack have a tendency to jam together and cause the component intended for release to stick to the one above it, the small weight of the component being insuificient to eifect its release by gravity. This jamming proves especially troublesome in the dispensing of tubular anode electrodes when the electrodes are stacked with their longitudinal axes vertically oriented.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is the provision of improved apparatus for dispensing relatively light and fragile electron tube components from a vertical stack of such components such that jamming problems are unattendant.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for dispensing tubular electron tube electrodes from a vertical stack of vertically oriented electrodes at each of a plurality of successive time intervals.

The foregoing and related objects are realized in dispensing apparatus comprising a chute which positions a plurality of the components to be dispensed in a vertically oriented stack, and a gripping mechanism having independently moveable fingers extending laterally into the chute which engages the components and dispenses them therefrom one at a time. The apparatus includes means, including the fingers aforementioned, for successively urging the bottom-most component in the chute downwardly, free of the chute, while supporting the rest of the components to insurethe dispensing of one component only at every one of a plurality of successive time intervals.

According to another aspect of the invention some of the fingers aforementioned are arranged in pairs and are adapted to center the component in the chute to preserve the component from deformation by contact with the chute Walls, and to accurately orient the component above a desired location. When the component to be dispensed is a tubular anode with its longitudinal axis vertically oriented, the desired location may, for example, be the location of a vertically oriented cathodegrid assembly around which the anode is to be disposed.

The invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away front elevation view of apparatus according to the invention illustrating the relative positions of some of its members during an initial portion of a work piece dispensing cycle of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away front elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating the relative positions of some of its members during a second portion of the work piece dispensing cycle shown initiated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on, respectively, lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIG. 4;

7 3,007,004 Patented Nov. 7, I961 ice FIG. 7 is a partially cut-away front elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating the relative positions of some of its members during a third portion of the work piece dispensing cycle shown initiated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a partially cut-away side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views taken on, respectively, lines 99 and -10-10 of FIG. 7;

FIG. -ll is an enlarged perspective View of a tubular, sheet metal anode of the type adapted to be dispensed by the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of some of the drive means used in operating the apparatus of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGURES l and 2, dispensing apparatus 10 is shown which includes a dispensing chute 12 and a feed control device 14. The chute 12 communicates with an overhead hopper (not shown), extends vertically downward past the feed control device 14, and terminates directly over a conveyor belt 16. The conveyor belt 16 includes a series of jigs 18 spaced therealong which are adapted to receive elements dispensed by the dispensing apparatus 11 For example, the jigs 18 may approach the chute 12 carrying an electron tube cathode-grid as sembly 20. A tubular anode 22, shown in detail in FIG. 11, may then be deposited onto each jig 18 over the cathode-grid assembly 20 carried thereby.

The dispensing operation is performed by a series of operations of the feed control device 14 which are phased with the advance and indexing of the conveyor belt 16 and jigs 18. The feed control device 14 comprises a longitudinally movable bar cam 24, a first solenoid 26 for actuating the cam, three finger units 28, 3d, and 322, and a second solenoid 34. The upper finger unit 28 is fixed longitudinally with respect to the chute 12, while the middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 respectively are longitudinally movable as a single unit along the chute 12. The longitudinal movement of the middle and lower finger units is effected by the second solenoid Generally, in operation, anodes 22 are stacked endto-end in the chute 12 above the feed control mechanism 14. A single finger 36 of the lower finger unit 32 protrudes to within the chute under the bottom-most anode 22 therein and supports the entire stack of anodes in the chute. In order to dispense the bottom-most anode on down the chute 12 onto a jig 18, the bar cam 24 is actuated upward by the solenoid 26. This causes two pair of gripper fingers 38 and 40 of the upper and middle finger units 28 and 30, respectively, to close on the two bottom-most anodes of the stack, and to firmly grip them. The single support finger 36 is withdrawn. The middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 are actuated downward by the solenoid 34 pulling the bottom-most anode free from the one immediately above it. The fingers 40 of the middle finger unit 3% then open, dropping the freed anode onto a jig 13. At this point only the gripper fingers 38 of the upper finger unit 28 are supporting the stack of anodes still in the chute. The middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 then move upward along the chute back to their original position. The single finger 36 of the lower finger .unit 32 is extended back into the chute and the gripper fingers 38 of the upper finger unit 28 opened to allow the stack of anodes still in the chute to drop down upon the single finger 36 and be supported thereby. Thus a dispensing cycle is completed. A more specific description of the feed control mechanism 14 and the operation thereof is detailed with reference to FIGS. 3-10.

FIG. 5 illustrates the upper finger unit 28 with its gripper fingers 38 in a closed position against an anode 22 in the chute 12. The unit 28 comprises the aforementioned gripper fingers 38, each of which are mounted on an arm 42, which in turn is fixed to a split bearing 44 rotatable on a shaft 45. Also connected to the bearings 44 are a pair of arms 46 which carry a pair of roller cam followers 48 adapted to be actuated in an outward direction by the bar cam 24. A coil spring 50 connected between the ends of the arms 46 urge the arms inward toward each other. Thus, the arms 42 and 46 of the unit 28 operate in a scissors fashion. When a narrow portion 52 of the bar cam 24 is disposed between the cam followers 48, as shown in FIG. 4, the spring 50 urges the fingers 38 against an anode 22. It should be noted that as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the cam portion 52 is of such width that it does not contact the followers 48 at all during this part of the dispensing cycle so that the fingers 38 are free to firmly grip an anode 22. FIG. 3 illustrates the same upper finger unit 28 during a portion of the dispensing cycle when the fingers are open. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 during such open condition, the cam followers 48 are spread by a wide portion 54 of the cam 24. This same condition is also shown in FIG. 9 with respect to the middle finger unit 30.

The middle finger unit 30, as shown in FIG. 9, is similar to the upper finger unit 28. It comprises the aforementioned pair of gripper fingers 40 carried on a pair of arms 55 which are attached to a pair of split bearings 56. Also connected to the bearings 56 are a second pair of arms 57 which carry a pair of roller cam followers 58. The bearings 56 of the middle finger unit 30, unlike the bearings 44 of the upper finger unit 28, are not directly in contact with the shaft 45. Rather, the bearings 56 are rotatable about a bushing sleeve 59 which in turn is slidable along the shaft 45. The structure and operation of the bushing sleeve 59 will be more fully described hereinafter.

FIGS. 6 and 10 show the lower finger unit 32in anodestack-supporting and non-supporting positions respectively. The lower finger unit comprises the aforementioned single support finger 36 mounted on an arm 60 which is connected to a bearing 62. The bearing 62, like the bearing 56 of the middle finger unit 30, is rotatably mounted about the bushing sleeve 59. An arm 64 also connected to the bearing 62 carries a single roller cam follower 66 adapted to be actuated by the bar cam 24. As shown in FIG. 6, the single support finger 36, when positioned within the chute 12, extends past the near side 68 of the anode 22 so as to support the anode stack.

Referring to FIGS. -1, 4 and 7, the feed control mechanism is shown during three different portions of the hereinbefore described dispensing cycle. The bar cam 24, best shown in these figures, comprises a flat bar having a series of Wide portions 54, narrow portions 52, and connecting tapered portions 70. The cam 24, slidably mounted parallel to the chute 12, is connected at one end by a linkage 72 to the first solenoid 26 and at the other end to a coil spring 74 which in turn is fixed relative to the chute 12 by connection to an arm 76. As such, the cam 24 is adapted to be actuated upward in response to energization of the first solenoid 26, and downward by the spring 74 when the first solenoid 26 is de-energized. As best shown in FIGS. 2. and 8 the finger units 28, 30 and 32 are carried on the shaft 45 such that their roller cam followers 48, 58, and respectively contact the bar cam 24. The upper finger unit 28 is held from axial movement along the shaft 45 by a pair of collars 78 fixed thereto. The middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 are fixed from axial movement relative to each other on the bushing sleeve 59, but the bushing sleeve 59 is axially slidable along the shaft 45'. The middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 are thus free to move as a unit in an axial direction along the shaft 45. At the same time the middle and lower finger units are free to individually rotate about the shaft 45 in response to the operation of the cam 24. The axial movement'of the sleeve 59 and the middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 carried thereby is accomplished by the second solenoid 34 and a linkage 80. When the second solenoid 34 is energized, the sleeve 59 and the middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 are moved downward; when the second solenoid 34 is de-energized a coil spring 82 returns the sleeve and the middle and lower finger units to an upward position adjacent the upper finger unit 28.

With both the first and second solenoids 26 and 34 de-energized, the feed control mechanism is conditioned as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the bar cam 24 in its extreme downward position. As such, the cam followers 48 and 58 of the upper and middle finger units 28 and 30 are spread apart by wide portions 54 of the bar cam 24; and the cam follower 66 of the lower finger unit 32 is in its inward position in contact with a narrow portion 52 of the bar cam 24. The positions of the upper, middle, and lower finger units 28, 30, and 32 are shown by FIGS. 3, 9 and 6 respectively. The gripper finger 38 and 40 of the upper and middle units are open and the supporting finger 36 of the lower unit is closed thus alone supporting the anode stack within the chute 12.

To begin a dispencing cycle the first solenoid 26 is energized causing the bar cam 24 to move upward as shown in FIG. 4. At this portion of the dispensing cycle the cam followers 48 and 58 of the upper and middle finger units 28 and 30 have closed, having been presented with narrow portions 52 of the bar cam 24. The cam follower 66 of the lower finger unit 32 is still in contact with a narrow portion of the bar cam 24 immediately adjacent a tapered portion 70 and is thus still in an extended position under, and supporting, the bottommost anode of the anode stack. Upper finger unit 28 is shown in this condition in FIG. 5. Here, the gripper fingers 38 are closed against the anode adjacent the bottom-most anode in the anode stack. The middle finger unit 30 is in a condition similar to that of the upper finger unit 28 shown in FIG. 5 but With its gripper fingers 40 closed on the bottom-most anode of the anode stack. The condition of the lower finger unit remains as shown in FIG. 6.

The second solenoid 34 is then energized and the feed control mechanism assumes the condition shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Neither the bar cam 24 nor the upper finger unit moves, hence the gripper fingers 38 of the upper finger unit 28 continue to grip the anode adjacent the bottom-most anode in the anode stack. However, the middle and lower finger units 30 and 32, carried by the bushing sleeve 59, are pulled downward to a new position on the bar cam 24. It is during the movement occasioned by energization of the second solenoid 34 that positive separation of the bottom-most anode from the anode adjacent thereto is effected. Such separation is the action provided by my invention which prior art gravity feed apparatus does not give. As the middle and lower finger units advance downward along the bar cam from the condition of FIG. 4 to the condition of FIG. 7, the lower finger unit cam follower 66 rides up on the tapered portion 70 and onto a wide portion 54 of the bar cam 24. This causes the single finger of this finger unit to withdraw from beneath the bottom-most anode. With the gripper fingers 40 closed on the bottommost anode, the middle finger unit cam followers 58 advance at the same time along an extended narrow portion 52 of the bar cam 24. It is here that the middle finger unit pulls the bottom-most anode free from the adjacent anode thereabove, which is held by the closed gripper fingers 38 of the upper finger unit 28. Then, as the middle and lower finger units 30 and 32 continue to advance downward, the middle finger unit cam follower 58 rides up on a tapered portion 70 of the bar cam 24 thus spreading the rollers 58 and opening the gripper fingers 40 to effect release of the bottom-most anode, permitting its fall onto a jig 18 therebeneath.

The second solenoid 34 and then the first solenoid 26 are then de-energized to permit the middle and lower finger units and the bar cam to return to the condition shown in FIG. 1. Thus a dispensing cycle is completed.

The foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention has not included description of an overall assembly line apparatus in which the invention might be used. For example, my invention might be embodied in one station of an automatic electrode cage assembly machine. As such, it would be operated in conjunction with a main drive shaft supplying mechanical power to the overall machine. Although my invention could be adapted for mechanically powered operation directly from a main drive shaft, I prefer to provide motivation by the two solenoids as hereinbefore described. Accordingly, in my preferred embodiment, only switching means is actuated directly in conjunction with the main drive shaft. Such operation, earlier mentioned herein as being phased with the advance and indexing of the conveyor belt, is described in more detail with reference to FIG- URE 12.

In FIGURE 12 a main drive shaft 84 is driven by a source of rotating power (now shown). One member 85 of an intermittent drive coupling 86 (schematically shown as a conventional Geneva star arrangement) is keyed to the drive shaft 8'4 and provides intermittent rotational drive to a second shaft 88. The second shaft 88 carries the aforementioned conveyor belt 16 which passes beneath the dispensing apparatus 10. Also keyed to the main drive shaft 84- are two wheel cam-s 90 and 92. The first wheel cam it) is adapted to actuate a first micro switch 94 which in turn permits the first solenoid 26 to be energized. Similarly, the second wheel cam 92 is adapted to actuate a second micro switch as which permits the second solenoid 34 to be energized. The two wheel cams 90 and 92 are angularly oriented on the drive shaft 84 with respect to each other and with respect to the intermittent drive coupling member 85 so that actuation of the two solenoids 26 and 3-4 are properly phased with each other and with the advance and indexing of the conveyor belt 16.

While I have described my invention as being particularly suitable and adapted to the dispensing of tubular electron tube anodes, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to such application. The principle of operation of my invention is equally applicable to the dispensing of many other kinds of components in many other industries.

What is claimed is:

1. Dispensing apparatus comprising a generally vertically oriented chute adapted to receive in stacked array a number of components to be dispensed, a feed control mechanism comprising two pairs of gripper fingers mounted along said chute, means for extending said pairs of gripper fingers laterally into said chute to frictionally grip opposite sides of the two bottom-most components therein, and means to move the pair of gripper fingers gripping the bottom-most component downward along said chute away from the other of said pair of gripper fingers to disengage the bottom-most component in said array from the component adjacent thereto.

2. Component dispensing apparatus for successively dispensing a bottom-most component from a generally vertically oriented stack of components, said apparatus comprising first gripper means for frictionally gripping the bottom-most component on opposite sides thereof, second gripper means for similarly gripping the component adjacent said bottom-most component, means for independently motivating the gripping actions of said first and second gripper means, and means adapted to move said first gripper means downwardly away from said second gripper means.

3. Dispensing apparatus comprising a generally vertically oriented chute adapted to hold in contacting relationship therein a vertical array of work pieces to be dispensed, at least three vertically spaced, movable finger units mounted for extension laterally into said chute in a position to maintain said work pieces within said chute and independently movable to successively disengage the bottom-most work piece in the chute from other work pieces contained therein, at least two of said finger units being mounted for vertical movement, one of which is further adapted to frictionally grip the bottom-most work piece and to thereby support same while moving it downwardly to disengage it from the adjacent work piece, another one of said finger units being positioned by said lateral extension to preserve work pieces from vertical movement while said bottom-most work piece is being so disengaged, means connected to sa d at least three finger units for controlling the lateral extension thereof, and means connected to said at least two finger units for controlling the vertical movement thereof.

4. Dispensing apparatus comprising a generally vertically oriented chute adapted to hold in contacting relationship therein a vertical array of elongated, generally vertically oriented Work pieces to be dispensed, and a work piece feed control mechanism mounted adjacent to said chute for dispensing bottorn-most work pieces therefrom one at a time, said mechanism comprising at least three vertically spaced finger units, means for moving each of said finger units in a generally horizontal plane for extension into said chute in engageable relation with work pieces therein, means for moving the two lowermost of said fingerunits vertically during said extension, the middle finger unit being adapted to frictionally grip and thus supportingly disengage a bottom-most work piece during its downward vertical movement, and the uppermost of said finger units being fixed against vertical movement during said extension and being vertically spaced from the next lower finger unit by a distance sufficient to engage, during said extension of said uppermost finger unit, a work piece adjacent the work piece which is to be engaged by said next lower finger unit during said extension of the latter.

5. Component dispensing apparatus for positively disengaging and dispensing a component from the bottom of a vertical stack of components, comprising a support finger unit, and at least two pairs of gripper finger units, all three units being vertically spaced along said stack, said support finger unit being laterally movable into and out of supporting position, said gripper finger pairs being independently movable in a lateral direction to closed and open positions independently engaging and disengaging the two bottom-most components of said stack, said support finger unit and a gripper finger unit adjacent thereto being vertically movable as a single unit, cam means to provide lateral motivation to said fingers of said units, first actuating means to actuate said cam, second actuating means to provide said vertical unit movement to said support finger unit and said adjacent gripper finger unit.

6. Component dispensing apparatus for positively disengaging and downwardly dispensing the bottom-most component of a substantially vertical stack of components, said apparatus comprising generally vertically oriented chute means adapted to receive said stack of components, support means independently laterally movable into and out of supporting position beneath the bottommost component in said chute, first gripper means independently laterally movable into said chute means in engageable relation with said bottom-most component, second gripper means independently laterally movable into said chute means in engageable relation with the component adjacent said bottom-most component, said support means and said first gripper means being mounted for movement as a unit along said chute means, cam means adapted to actuate said support means and said first and second gripper means in their lateral movements, a first actuating means for actuating said cam means, and a second actuating means adapted to unitarily move said support means and said first gripper means generally vertically along said chute means.

7. Feed control apparatus of the kind described comprising three movably mounted work-piece-engageable finger units, each of said units being spaced from the others along a predetermined vertical axis, the upper and middle units each having a pair of cooperating gripper fingers, the lower unit having at least one finger, means for moving said middle and lower units in a direction along said axis, each of said fingers being spring biased for urging it in one direction in a plane normal to said axis and having a cam roller fixed to the finger for transmitting thereto a force urging the finger in a direction opposite said one direction, and a stop for determining the maximum movement of the finger in said one direction, said means including a cam having cam surfaces engageable with said cam rollers of each of said fingers for determining the maximum travel of each of said fingers in said opposite direction and for providing a force urging each of said fingers in said opposite direction.

8. The method of dispensing the bottom-most component from a vertically stacked array of components comprising the steps of supporting said array beneath its bottom-most component, supportingly gripping said bottom-most component, supportingly gripping the component immediately adjacent said bottom-most component, removing said support from beneath said array, advancing said bottom-most component downward free from said adjacent component while continuously sup porting both of said components, releasing said bottommost component, reestablishing support beneath the reo u mainder of the components of said array, and releasing said adjacent component permitting it to fall upon said support.

9. Method of dispensing one at a time, a plurality of Vertically stacked and interlocked work-pieces, said method' comprising the steps of individually supportingly engaging the two lowermost work-pieces in said stack, then vertically separating said two lowennost work-pieces while maintaining said individual support, then releasing the lowermost of said work pieces for dispensing the same from said stack while engaging another lowermost work-piece, then releasing said another lowermost workpiece for free fall of the remaining work-pieces in said stack, and then supportingly engaging said another lowermost work-piece for stopping said fall of the remaining stack after said stack has fallen a predetermined distance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,425,886 Maiwurm Aug. 15, 1922 1,609,581 Smith Dec. 7, 1926 1,667,483 Leof Apr. 24, 1928 1,690,920 Bergmann et a1 Nov. 6, 1928 1,963,621 Geyer June 19, 1934 2,385,267 Franz Sept. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,418 Great Britain July 26, 1938 

